During the public session of the conference ’50 Years of Autonomy – Health’, the President of the Regional Government, Miguel Albuquerque, asked what solution can ensure the sustainability of health systems and how patients can be persuaded that small lesions do not always need intervention. The event also included former Minister of Health Adalberto Campos Fernandes and pathologist Manuel Sobrinho Simões, founder of the Institute of Pathology and Molecular and Cellular Immunology at the University of Porto. Albuquerque said sector costs are rising sharply because treatments, technology, and new medicines all carry approved expenses that grow exponentially. He argued that the pressure on the Social State makes it essential to find a sustainable model for healthcare. Adalberto Campos Fernandes defended a system built around prevention and proximity, warning that a system focused only on controlling costs is destined to fail. He also said public health investment should increase, noting that “for every euro spent on promotion and prevention, we save 10 euros” in treatments and hospital care, and suggested using part of the tourist tax to support healthcare in Madeira. Manuel Sobrinho Simões warned about overdiagnosis in oncology, saying cancer must always be presented with its severity clearly defined and that stronger health literacy is needed to avoid alarmism and unnecessary interventions.
